Intellectual property, commonly known as IP, is the lifeblood of every company or organization. However, in the past, it wasn't very important. Businesses rarely focused on their intellectual property, struggled to protect it and it wasn't as important to business owners. The reason is simple – the competition in the business world, prior to globalization and the advent of technology wasn’t so fierce. Now, companies are online, and their entire range of products is most likely online. Technical manuals, recipes, and other important bits of information are easily available online. Cyber attacks are now the norm, and most of them go undetected and untraced.
The entertainment industry is an amazing example. Movies, music, and various other types of media are constantly hacked, and companies lose billions because of it. IP is hugely important in the modern business environment, and even the smallest businesses have to know about trade secret protection in Doral. Here's a short guide that will help you understand the basics of intellectual property protection. Let's start:
What is intellectual property?
Intellectual property can be everything and anything about your company or organization. Chemical formulae, a product launch, a technical manual, a patent, a list of contractors and clients, or a plan to expand in another market – they can all be considered intellectual property. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), intellectual property is defined as any creation of the mind that is used in commerce, such as inventions, literary or artistic works, names, images, designs, and symbols. Ask your intellectual property lawyers in Miami About what counts as intellectual property and what doesn't.
How can you keep intellectual property safe?
If your intellectual property is stolen or hacked, finding the culprits is tough. And prosecuting them is even harder. What's more, getting the stolen information back is almost impossible. This is particularly true if your IP gets online, where it quickly becomes available to a lot of people worldwide. Obviously, getting IP protection is crucial in order to avoid this from happening. Here's what to do if you want to get the best trade secret protection in Doral:
Tip #1 – Know the type of IP you have
You, as the business owner, must know the exact IP you have and want to have protected. Obviously, your key employees should also know which IP is important for your business and how it can be protected. Make sure you have regular meetings with your staff and discuss which part of the intellectual property is important, how to manage it and how you can protect it. Include your legal department as well – they will know better how to deal with this delicate issue. This is also the ideal moment to contact the best intellectual property lawyers in Miami you can find. It's very important to get the best legal assistance you can find before anything bad happens.
Tip #2 – Determine where is your IP
You will need to know where your IP is located in order to protect it. Here's what to pay attention to:
- scanners, copiers, printers, and fax machines often store important documents, and many people don't realize this; these office machines are usually networked and have both an in-built storage system and a central storage system; make sure you check both these digital storage areas for important files or documents; use proper management systems and don't let anyone unauthorized access them;
- file-sharing services and cloud applications – make sure you know what systems your employees are using and if they are secure; if not sure about this aspect, talk to your IT department or contractor;
- employees' personal devices – every employee has a smartphone or tablet – make sure that the emails they receive are secured, the IP is handled correctly and security is a priority; educate your staff on proper handling of IP and monitor every unusual activity;
- third-party systems – pay special attention to the intellectual property that is shared with other companies, such as contractors, suppliers, business partners or customers; create a good contract that offers protection in case anything goes wrong; if unsure, contact your intellectual property lawyers in Miamiand ask for guidance.
Tip #3 - Make IP protection a priority
Create a plan for intellectual property management and make sure it is properly implemented in your organization. Determine the risks involved, the cost-benefit analysis, and adapt the security measures to your needs. Make a map of the company's assets, main pieces of intellectual property, and how they must be protected. Devise a plan of action if something goes wrong – what should you do if a specific piece of information is lost or stolen? What measures should you take? How can you protect other assets? Also, create a list of the assets that are most likely to be stolen or lost. Create the whole protection plan according to this list and make sure you get the best trade secret protection in Doral.
Tip #4 – Educate employees
Awareness training is probably the most important thing to do when dealing with IP protection. Humans are often the weakest link in the defensive chain, so you must make sure that your employees know how to handle this aspect. In most cases, IP is lost by negligence and accident, not by fraudulent or malevolent activity. You will need to educate your employees on these important aspects:
- using secure and proper email services – data shows that 51 percent of IP is lost via email; pay attention to the destination (the recipient) of each email, the details included and the service you use;
- file-sharing should be done only via secure FTP services – about 40 percent of IP is lost via insecure FTP services
- educate your employees on how to use the major collaboration tools, like Slack or Dropbox; similarly, train your employees on how to use messaging apps (like Whatsapp)
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